1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an ozone generator and method of making the same, and more particularly, to a multi-tube ozone generator having a tube construction in which the plurality of ozone generating tubes are nested together. The present invention also relates to a method of making the ozone generator by forming the ozone generating tubes and joining the same together in a compact, nested structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ozone (O.sub.3) is a powerfully oxidizing allotropic form of oxygen. Because of its high oxidizing properties, it is commonly used, among other things, as a bacteriacide and virus deactivant and is rapidly attaining preeminence in the treatment of air and of drinking and other water supplies. Ozone is also gaining popularity for use in sewage treatment and any other application where the high oxidizing properties of ozone can be utilized.
Ozone does not exist at usable levels naturally, nor is it practically containerized or stored; thus it must be generated commercially, and generally at the location where it is used. The principal method used to generate ozone commercially is to pass gaseous oxygen or air through a high voltage, alternating current electric discharge commonly referred to as a silent arc or corona discharge. During this process, molecular oxygen (O.sub.2) disassociates into atomic oxygen in an energizing environment that allows the recombination of atoms into the O.sub.3 (ozone) form.
Various ozone generators employing silent arc discharge conditions currently exist in the art. Such generators generally comprise a pair of electrodes separated by a gap, a dielectric material inserted in the gap, gaseous oxygen or air in the gap, and sufficient voltage potential between the electrodes to cause current to flow through the dielectric and the gaseous oxygen or air. The electrodes can be flat, tubular or any configuration which allows opposing electrode surfaces to be parallel. Tubular electrodes are commonly employed in multi-tube generators comprising a plurality of tubes generally arranged in a linear or packed configuration. Although it is desirable to pack the plurality of tubes in a multi-tube generator as close as possible while still allowing sufficient space between the tubes for cooling purposes, the compactability of currently existing multi-tube ozone generators has been limited by the manner in which such generators are constructed.
In one typical prior art ozone generator, a plurality of individual ozone generating tubes are supported by a tube sheet or end plate which contains a plurality of openings to accommodate the ends of the tubes. During construction, the ends of the plurality of tubes are positioned in the openings of the end plate and secured thereto by swedging. With such a structure, it is necessary for a certain minimum distance to exist between the holes in the end plate to provide sufficient strength to support the tubes. If the openings to which the tubes are joined are too close together, the end plate will not be sufficiently strong to support the swedging of adjacent tubes without loosening other joints. Accordingly, the extent to which the plurality of tubes in such a structure can be packed or nested relative to one another is limited.
In a further multi-tube ozone generator described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,858 issued to Mechtersheimer, a plurality of tubes are packed into a housing in which the intermediate spaces between the tubes are filled with a thermally conductive material. Another multi-tube ozone generator is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,570 also issued to Mechtersheimer in which the plurality of tubes are arranged linearly between a pair of spaced metal plates.
Although various multi-tube generators currently exist in the air, there is a continuing need for a multi-tube generator which provides maximum nesting of the plurality of ozone generating tubes, while still maintaining sufficient spacing between such tubes to provide cooling.